behave like wild birds,” Mullin says. “If a wild turkey sees you moving, he’s gone. These other birds will peck on your home’s glass sliding door.”
Mullin recently responded to an incident where birds were strutting in front of Avon Grove Intermediate School. They surrounded him, expecting to get fed. He captured them and put them down.
Raising turkeys in a pen requires a permit. Before their release—which is frowned upon—they must be tested for Salmonella pullorum, or it’s grounds for a citation.
"PEN-FED TURKEYS MAY LOOK LIKE WILD BIRDS, BUT THEY WON’T BEHAVE LIKE WILD BIRDS. THEY’LL PECK ON YOUR HOME’S GLASS SLIDING DOOR."
For hunters, coming in contact with an honest-to-goodness wild turkey can be exciting—interacting with it, calling it closer, studying its behav- ior. “With a spring hunt, you’re back in nature as nature’s coming back to life,” says Casalena. “The sun is ris- ing. The birds are calling. You hear gobblers rattling, and you see them fan out in an elaborate display. But then it’s frustrating because they don’t come in.”
To help, report wild turkey sightings every August at:pgcdatacollection.pa.gov/ TurkeyBroodSurvey.
Wild turkeys near Coatesville in Chester County, Pa.
www.ThehunTMagazine.coM 141